Roland Martin: The Meaning Of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa seems to be a holiday that floats in the background when Christmas and Hanukkah come around. However, people fail to understand that Kwanzaa as a holiday explains important values that people should invest in.

Greg Carr, the chair of Afro-American Studies at Howard University explains to Roland Martin the importance of Kwanzaa and it affects the community.

“Kwanzaa which is 51-years-old this year a successful attempt to capture values that Black folks have always had,” explained Carr.

Kwanzaa is celebrated over 7 days and looks at the qualities of Unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

“They go on all over the country and different places all over the world. Kwanzaa means first fruit,” explained Carr. “Usually one day a week in major cities they’ll pick a day, different organizations will pick a day.”